The Consequences of Fallibility
by Ada C. Eliana
Summary: It was thought that the Dynasty would be safe in the hands of Lady Kayura. However, when that leader gives way to human frailty and neglects her duties, evil rises again. Kayura and Rowen centric. No pairings. COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

Summary: Set directly after the Ronin defeated Talpa the second time and before Gaiden. Prologue to the 'Changing Series: A New Foe'. With Talpa destroyed, the Dynasty needs a strong leader to reconstruct without giving way to evil. IT was thought that the Dynasty would be safe in the hands of Lady Kayura. However, when that leader gives way to human frailty and neglects her duties, a Warlord takes advantage of the chance to reorganize, and evil rises again.

I do not own Ronin Warriors. However, the characters Kubi, Juru, and the Warladies are mine.

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The Consequences of Fallibility

Part I: Attraction

She closed her fingers around the corner of the stone building, her breath catching in her throat every time the door swung open. Was he coming out now? However, each time she was disappointed and once again felt foolish for even being there. As the caretaker of the Nether Realm there was no reason she should be in the Mortal Realm, at least no reason anyone else would understand. Kayura sighed and leaned against the building, ending her nervous staring around the corner. All of those lonely days in the Dynasty, she could do nothing but think of him. With only Seckhmet, Kale, and Dais for company she would often find herself distracted, daydreaming of a Toyama apartment building and the young man who lived there. The three former Dark Warlords just thought she was preoccupied with the task of keeping evil from infiltrating to the heart of the Dynasty, and left her alone with her thoughts. She could easily watch him from her new home, as the Dynasty was made for spying, and she often did, but there was nothing like seeing him in person; the Dynasty screens could be no substitute for sharing the same air, the same sky, the same wind with him. And so once again she told the Warlords she was busy, to not disturb her, and had slipped out. She was beginning to feel guilty, she was not working as hard as she should on keeping the peace in the Dynasty, yet the part of her that Talpa had never influenced, her true heart, needed to be here.

She heard the door of the building squeak as it opened and quickly looked around the corner. Her heart leapt with joy as she saw him exit. His blue hair moved idly in the slight wind, pulling at the khakis and black dress shirt he was wearing. She watched him, filled with longing. If only she could reach out to him, if only he loved her as she loved him. She knew he would never return her love, never fulfill the need within her. Yet she could not tear her eyes from him. And she knew no man would fill her with joy and make her feel all human, and all alive the way he did. Because he was Rowen Hashiba, and no one else could ever rival him.

She watched him walk to the bus stop, leaning up against a telephone pole. She tried to take in all of him, how his chin jutted out at a striking angle from his face, the contours of his muscles beneath his shirt, the way the wind played with his headband-less hair. He pulled his hand through the dark blue mass, and Kayura felt the desperate need to touch him, to feel that same fine hair beneath her palms. But as she tried to control her desire fate intervened, the bus pulled up, Rowen stepped into it, and then he was gone, gone.

"Kayura, you must have been very busy this morning," Kale said as Kayura busied herself applying make-up around her eyes. "You did not even come out of your room once."

"Well, it's hard to keep order in the Demon Realm Kale," Kayura replied sharply, in truth that morning she had spied on Rowen, and since her return done nothing but contemplate him, and where he was going so dressed up.

Kale was taken aback by her retort and so changed the subject. "Kayura, are you ready for the meeting tonight?" Kale asked softly.

"Yes Kale, though I think the warriors are becoming bored with these updates," Kayura responded with a sigh. Ever since she had become caretaker of the Dynasty, Kayura had set aside days to meet with the Ronin Warriors and discuss the progress she was making.

"Well, it's important, and if they can't see that…" Kale began harshly.

"Kale, please stop." Kale still felt resentment towards the Ronin Warriors, though especially towards Sage for inflicting so many humiliating defeats on him. He would never befriend the chosen five.

Kayura viewed her appearance in the large mirror in her small inhabitance. She wore a deep blue kimono. _The same color as Rowen's armor,_ she sighed to herself. She had never taken to western clothes, and as she spent most of her time in the Dynasty it was of no consequence. Kayura smoothed her hair down once more, and fixed the gold tiara in front. She had chosen to leave it down, attempting to look nothing like her warrior self. "Alright, I am ready now. I will see you when I get back," Kayura said vaguely to Kale, then she disappeared in a flash of gold.

Mia hurriedly set the long dining room table. Kayura would be arriving soon, and she wanted to be done by then. She paused as the scent of sesame oil caught her nose. Sai, bless him, had volunteered to cook dinner, which nearly assured that there would be no food disputes, one less thing to worry about. Mia looked at the table, she had set seven places, but now worried where each Ronin should sit. As Kayura would need to talk to each Ronin she sat her at the head of the table, putting Ryo and Sai on opposite sides at her end, followed by herself next to Ryo, Kento next to Sai, and then Sage next to Kento, with Rowen next to her so she could keep a stern eye on him. Rowen's hatred for Kayura was not a secret to anyone, but she did not want him to say anything inappropriate to her, as he had at the last meeting, resulting in disaster. One thing the Dynasty had done for Rowen was make him less quiet. Though he was still known to say absolutely nothing for long stretches of time, he was now characterized with sudden bouts of anger resulting in outbursts from him that made everyone uncomfortable.

As Mia turned to walk into the kitchen and check on Sai's progress a sudden burst of light heralded the arrival of Kayura. Mia's immediate thought was of how beautiful Kayura looked. However, something about her kimono caught Mia's eye. It was a deep blue, with gold trim. Immediately an image of the blue and gold Strata armor popped into Mia's mind, and she sighed at how Kayura was trying to make concessions to the warrior of air.

"Hello Kayura," Mia said with cheeriness.

"Hello Mia," Kayura replied uncomfortably. She instinctively looked around the empty room.

"Sai's the only one here so far," Mia said. "Kento should be by soon though, and Ryo went with Sage to pick up Rowen."

Kayura's heart jumped at the mention of Rowen, and her face flushed as she thought of seeing him again. Even though he was often mean to her at these meetings, it was the only time he focused on her, and spoke to her, and she cherished that.

Thankfully, Mia mistook Kayura's blushing for embarrassment at what trouble Rowen caused during these meetings. "Sage and Ryo are going to talk to him, and we discussed it a lot after last time, everything should go fine tonight." Kayura nodded. Then the door swung open and eventually Kento walked into the dining room.

"Smells like Sai's cooking!" Kento exclaimed with delight, salivating as he thought of his dinner. "Hello Kayura, hello Mia," Kento added, food was always first in his mind. "What are we all standing around for? Why don't we sit down and wait for dinner?" Kento asked.

"I was just going to see if Sai needed some help," Mia responded, and then turned and left the dining room. Kento gestured to the head of the table and Kayura sat down.

"Bet you're glad to get out of the Dynasty," Kento said. "Must be real boring with only the Warlords to keep you company." Having rarely faced Kayura in battle, and a firm believer that her actions were not her fault, Kento harbored no dislike towards the newest Ancient. The Warlords however, were another story. He did not want to buddy up with Dais any time soon.

"It's not so bad, there's a lot to be done," Kayura answered. Then three voices were heard from the foyer.

"I'm just saying Rowen, you always overreact," Sage said.

"He's right you know," Ryo added. "There's nothing to be angry about." They were referring to his anger against Kayura. Rowen was incredulous, how could they say that? They never seemed to understand.

Upon hearing their voices, Kayura and Kento looked around the corner and watched their bickering. Kayura felt warm and happy inside as she saw Rowen, but as she understood what their conversation was about she immediately felt embarrassed and horrified.

"Nothing to be angry about?" Rowen responded angrily. "Nothing?!" He instinctively drew his right hand up to his chest, where her crossed swords had left a permanent impression in his skin. Kayura felt a pang of guilt as she watched Rowen, unbidden the images of their fight that day came to her mind. She forced them away as Sage spoke.

"You have to get over it Rowen, she's on our side now," Sage said quietly.

"You could never understand Sage, you weren't there," Rowen retorted. "You have no idea what it was like. I will never be friends with Kayura."

"Just be civil for once," Ryo said. Then the three caught sight of Kayura and Kento. As Rowen's eyes met hers he instantly felt a wave of dread pass over him, and in his mind he heard her cold voice, _"You're sacrificing yourself, oh how gallant."_ He immediately stiffened.

"Rowen, what's with the spiffy outfit?" Kento asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Rowen looked down at his black dress shirt and khakis.

"Oh, I went to this science thing with my dad this morning," Rowen responded, his cheeks turning pink. Kayura however, was taken aback, he was lying, his father had not left with him.

"Oh, sounds like fun," Kento responded sarcastically. Rowen rolled his eyes.

"Hey Kayura," Ryo said with a smile, breaking her intense gaze on Rowen. "That's a gorgeous kimono you're wearing by the way." Kayura looked down quickly at herself, she had wanted to hear those words, but not from Ryo.

"Oh, thank you," she responded, flushing as Rowen turned his piercing gaze to her.

"Food's ready!" an Australian voice called from the dining room. Kento took charge and led the others to the dining room with haste. Kayura sat at the head of the table, and Rowen moved toward the seat nearest her, keeping a close eye on her always first in his mind. Mia quickly grabbed Rowen's shoulder to stop him.

"Actually Rowen, I want you to sit here this time," she said motioning towards the last seat on that side. Rowen opened his mouth to defend his right to sit wherever he wanted, but a stern glare from Sage stopped him. However as he sat down Mia heard him grumble something that sounded like "I'm not a child".

After normal polite conversation Kayura finally began to speak of the Dynasty.

"There have been some minor breaks of rebellion from elder warlords in the eastern lands of the Nether Realm," she said. "But nothing that the staff could not contain," she hastily added as the others seemed concerned.

"So everything is pretty much under control then?" Sage asked. Kayura nodded.

"Most of the Dynasty has been forced to recognize my power and control. It will only be a matter of time until the whole of the Nether Realm is thoroughly under allegiance to the staff." At that comment Rowen, who had not spoken at all during dinner quickly looked up from the spring roll he was about to eat.

He set it down slowly and then said, "Power and control, allegiance to the staff? Kayura, you're there to keep peace in the Dynasty, to extinguish the evil, not to build your own personal kingdom! Are you just doing this to claim control of the Dynasty and then lead another attack on the Mortal Realm?" Kayura carefully watched him, feeling blissfully queasy as his eyes became stormy and dangerous, their anger directed at her.

'_That's right, say all you need to say, let out your anger so you can love me…'_ Kayura thought.

"Rowen!" Ryo shouted angrily.

"What Ryo, it's just a question, let's see what this…. this new Ancient has to say for herself," Rowen responded. Kayura felt her heart leap with joy, he had called her 'this new Ancient' as if finally accepting her status.

"Rowen you are so out of line," Ryo seethed.

"Well if I am, then Kayura should be able to answer shouldn't she?" Rowen retorted.

"Rowen…" Kayura lingered on his name before continuing, "I have absolutely no desire to **rule** the Nether Realm, or attack the Mortal Realm. But you have to understand, these Warlords are not going to turn good, it just won't happen, they need to be controlled."

Rowen was about to make another retort when his cell phone rang. "Hold on," he said menacingly at Kayura and then left the room to answer his phone. "Hello," they heard him say from the hall. "Yes this is Rowen Hashiba." Pause. "What?" Pause. "Oh… where is he?" Pause. "Alright, I'll go, no it's fine, I'll go. If you talk to her tell her not to worry about it okay?" Pause. "Probably not. Thank you, goodbye." Rowen poked his head back into the dining room. "Mia, something came up, I have to go."

"Wait, where are you going? Do you need a ride?" Sage asked.

"I'll just take the subway thanks, bye." With an abrupt bow, Rowen strode quickly out of the house.

The remaining four warriors and Mia exchanged significant glances, Rowen had pulled his mysterious leaving trick again. "Sorry, Kayura," Sai said, in reference to Rowen's anger, facing her. "Um, is there anything else you wanted to tell us?"

"Um, well there is a Warlord who is gaining power in the northwestern part of the Dynasty. He had led rebellions against Talpa in the past, but he was never much of a threat. However, it's rumored that he has a team of warriors on his side. But, I am not worried, he is not stronger than the power of the staff." The others nodded. Kayura however, had not even listened to what she had told them, she kept thinking about Rowen's phone call; who it could have been from, and what it could have been about. "I… I should be getting back to the Dynasty now!" Kayura suddenly said.

"Kayura, you don't have to go so soon," Ryo protested.

"No, no, I have to, goodbye." In a flash of light she disappeared. She reappeared outside of the subway station, in time to see Rowen running down the concrete stairs. She waited to see which train he entered and then disappeared again. She reappeared with the staff in her hand in the worst section of downtown Toyama. She concentrated and the staff emitted a silver light, the light covered her, and then caused her to become invisible. Kayura waited with bated breath for the subway to arrive. She knew if Rowen left in the middle of an argument with her that it must be important. Her heart ached for him, thinking of what could possibly drag him out to the worst section of Toyama. Then she saw him walk up the concrete steps, his determined resolve faltering as he surveyed his surroundings. The buildings were old and crumbling, and tacked with neon signs that read things like "Beer, cheap", "Hot Babes", "Discount Pleasure", etc. Rowen's deep blue eyes looked around some more, clearly at a loss. Then an American man who looked as if he had not showered in weeks stumbled over to Rowen.

"You lost kid?" he asked, leering at Rowen and standing way too close for comfort. Kayura tightened her grip on her staff angrily, willing to hurt the man if he so much as touched Rowen. Rowen took a step back, but stared directly into the man's eyes, emanating strength and determination.

"Perhaps you could tell me where I might find the 'Crash House'?" Rowen asked with an edge of attitude in his voice.

"Hey now buddy, I didn't mean to offend you or nothin'," the man said, slurring his speech. "It's jus' over that way on Dean Street, but you wanna be careful, ain't no place for kids," the man added.

"Thanks, and I can take care of myself," Rowen retorted brushing past the man. Kayura quickly and quietly followed.

The "Crash House" was a large deteriorated building, something akin to the trashy bars in movies about big cities. Rowen paused just outside of the door to the bar, took a deep breath and then yanked the door open. The bar was dark and dingy, tobacco smoke hung in the room. The bartender eyed Rowen warily, and Rowen quickly realized why. He was wearing khakis and a dress shirt, while most of the men in there were in dirty, ragged jeans, and decorated with tattoos. The room felt greasy, and Rowen decided he wanted to be out of there as soon as possible. He scanned the crowd through the dark and tainted air, and finally found him. His father was quite easy to pick out of the crowd in his dark suit. Rowen inhaled deeply, then coughed as the dirty air entered his lungs. He stood up tall and walked over to the man who was hunched over a small table in the back, surrounded by shot glasses. Rowen looked around nervously, the eyes of the bartender focused on him. Rowen placed his hands on his father's shoulders and shook him lightly.

"Father," he whispered to him. Genichirou Hashiba's response was a low growl. Rowen sighed and pulled him out of the chair. Genichirou seemed dazed and so followed Rowen's lead. However, as Rowen reached the door the bartender walked over and tossed his arm out to stop them.

"He didn't pay for all of his drinks," the bartender said.

"Oh…" Rowen responded, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. "How much does he owe you?"

"Fifty dollars," the bartender replied.

"FIFTY?!?!" Rowen exclaimed. "What are you serving here, liquid gold?" he added quietly as he counted the bills in his wallet. He handed the bartender most of its contents. "That should cover it." With that Rowen walked out into the darkening evening, shoving his father along in front of him. Rowen faced his father and shook him. He was still in a drunken daze. Rowen exhaled with irritation and then pulled his hand back and slapped his father. This had the desired effect of pulling Genichirou out of his stupor, however the first thing he did was punch Rowen's face.

"Aw, what the hell!" Rowen exclaimed putting a hand to his eye and pulling it back bloody.

"Why the hell did you hit me?" he replied in a slurred tone.

"Because you're drunk!" Rowen retorted. Kayura watched the pair closely, holding her staff close to her. Then Rowen's cell phone began to ring. "Hold on," he said to his father as he pulled out the phone. "Hello."

"ROWEN-KUN!" the shout was audible to all within a fifteen-mile radius of Rowen.

"Hey Mom," Rowen responded.

"Did you find your father?" she asked a little quieter.

"Yes, and he's drunk, and there's no way I can get him all the way back to the apartment."

"Oh that's okay, your father's been so stressed lately, the poor dear, his co-workers are waiting for him at the Hilton on 9th street, can you get him there?"

"Yeah, bye." Then Rowen turned his attention to his Father. "Come along, Father, we're going to 9th street." As he began to walk off he heard a strange sound behind him, a sound like something heavy hitting the concrete. The space behind him was empty, but when he looked at the window of the bar he saw the image of a girl reflected in it, as if she was just behind him. The girl was Kayura. Rowen looked behind him again, but seeing nothing except the street, he shook his head and continued walking.

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That's it for part one! 


	2. Discovery

No, I do not own Ronin Warriors, which is quite a shame, but such is life. I do however stake claim to Kubi, Juru, and the new Warladies.

Here's Part II, enjoy!

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Part II: Discovery

It was dark outside when Rowen, dragging his feet, ascended the steep stairs to his penthouse apartment. He sighed as he unlocked the door and entered. He pulled his shoes off and walked into the living room. "About time you got home," a smooth voice said. The voice startled Rowen out of his drowsiness and he jumped into a defensive stance. His cheeks flushed mildly as he saw that the voice belonged to Sage Date, who was sitting on the couch.

"How'd you get in?" he asked.

"I borrowed Mia's spare key, thought we could talk," he said.

"Uh… sure, just let me change out of these clothes first," Rowen replied. He went into his bedroom, and came out in jeans, while holding one of his signature collar shirts in his hand. He sat down and began unbuttoning the dress shirt.

"Hey…" Sage began, suddenly noticing the gash above his eye. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, I forgot all about that," Rowen said, rising from the couch to go dress the wound. Sage however, had other plans. He walked over to Rowen and put his hand over the wound. Sage's hand glowed and the wound was healed. "Oh, I always forget that you can do that," Rowen said as Sage sat down on the other couch again.

"So how'd it happen?"

"Let's just call it a bar brawl shall we?" Rowen answered as he pulled off the dress shirt. As he took off the T-shirt underneath Sage suddenly noticed something he had never seen before. A scar was present on Rowen's chest in the shape of an X.

"What's that?" Sage asked, concerned.

"What's what?" Rowen said, then looked where Sage was looking. "Oh, an old battle scar," he replied. Then he put on his other shirt. Before Sage could inquire as to who inflicted it on him they heard a crash in the kitchen. Rowen walked cautiously into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Kayura caught her breath. In her excitement to see Rowen take off his shirt she had knocked the staff into the teapot, pushing it off of the counter. Now she hurriedly backed into the corner, she was still invisible, but after Rowen's reaction on the street began to suspect that her reflection was visible.

"Who's there?" Rowen asked loudly. He bent down and picked up the teapot and then looked around the kitchen. Sage stood behind him, looking around. Sage used his intuitive sight to search for whatever knocked down the teapot. He sensed an aura in the corner and turned his attention there. Using his power of light he saw Kayura huddled in the corner with her staff, unsure of what to do. Kayura's gaze met his, and she mouthed "no" at him, with a quick side-glance at Rowen. Sage looked over at Rowen who had begun to talk.

"I swear someone followed me around all day today," he said, still inspecting the kitchen. "I even heard some weird noises when I was out, but there was no one behind me."

"You're probably just paranoid," Sage began, wondering what Kayura was doing in Rowen's kitchen. "You know, you're probably still in the battle mindset."

"Maybe, but I could have sworn that I saw Kayura's reflection in one of the windows on the street, yet she was not behind me."

"Speaking of Kayura," Sage started. Behind him he could sense Kayura stiffen. "That's why I'm here, I wanted to talk to you about her." Rowen sighed loudly as he walked back into the living room and slumped on the couch. From behind him Sage could sense Kayura teleport out of the room.

"I figured that was why you were here," Rowen said.

"Yeah, I just want to understand," Sage said gently, sitting across from him. "If you hate her so much, then I'm sure you must have a really good reason, so why don't you just tell us what happened?"

"Why don't you just ask Ryo?" Rowen responded, his eyes averted from Sage's intense gaze.

"I did ask Ryo, and he told us everything he knew, but there was a large chunk of time when Ryo was unconscious and you were fending off Kayura, and other times Ryo was distracted or didn't remember exactly what happened. Why won't you tell me what happened?"

"I, I just don't want to…" Rowen said. "It's hard to talk about what happened in the Dynasty, all of it actually, but it just seemed like when it was me and Kayura, that it was more personal."

"Please, please talk to me about it, I think you really need to Rowen," Sage said. Without Sage's awareness, Kayura had reappeared in the kitchen. She perched herself atop one of the chairs, careful to use the staff's power to hide her presence. From the kitchen Kayura listened intently.

"Okay," Rowen said quietly, swallowing the lump in his throat, he did want to talk about it. "The first time I saw Kayura, I was at Ama no Hashidate," he began darkly. She dragged me up to a cloud, but stayed in the shadows so I couldn't make out her features. I tried my Arrow Shock Wave on her, but it had no effect, and she kept taunting me, she told me how you and Sai and Kento were captured by the Dynasty. Then she attacked me, and knocked me off the cloud, mentioning something about going after Ryo. So I went to Mt. Fuji, just in time to see her introducing herself to Ryo. That was when she pulled out your sword and Sai's spear and she left."

The next time I saw her was at the house. This time I actually saw her face, and she showed us you guys in the Dynasty then said she was going to bring us in too. We used Inferno and she left though. We had some other small battles with her, but the major ones were when we got closer to the palace." Rowen paused as Sage listened silently. "She showed up when we were fighting the Warlords, and used this gold dust to make the armor's power go to Ryo to create Inferno. Um, we beat her again though. But the next time, the next time was when we got near the room where you three had been held."

She drained the power out of Ryo's armor." Rowen's throat became dry as he thought of the battle that had occurred. "I… I um, blew a hole in the wall, so White Blaze could escape with Ryo. She tried to stop me, but I fought her to protect Ryo. My attacks were as useless as always, and I knew they were, and so, I was prepared to… to give up my life for Ryo's." Rowen paused, and Sage looked into his eyes, he saw the deep blue pools to be faraway and filled with pain and anxiety over that battle. "We went up against each other, my attack against hers, and of course her swords got the best of me, and I was falling, to what she assumed was my doom, but my armor saved me, good thing too," he said with a nervous laugh. "We began to fight each other in the air, and eventually ended up above the boat with White Blaze and Ryo on it. She used her mega-attack again, so I did all I could do, I used my armor to shield Ryo. She knocked me onto the boat and raised her swords again, and I just knew it was all over," Rowen's voice cracked as he spoke.

"That's when Anubis showed up right?" Sage asked softly. Rowen nodded.

"Um, after that we went back to fighting, and even though Ryo wanted to fight her, she seemed to keep attacking me. She did hurt Ryo though, and I couldn't bear to watch that. I knew that our only hope was to reunite with you and the other two, so I did the only thing I thought could work, I attacked her head on, hoping to create a diversion for Ryo to get out, and knowing she would be able to easily fend me off, but I figured if I was captured they would take me to the others and Ryo could follow. Um, you asked earlier where that scar came from, it was from what happened next. I blew up the building we were in and jumped out at her. She managed to get underneath me, and crossed her swords on my chest and blasted me. I create my power shield so I wouldn't plummet to my death, but landed on a boat filled with soldiers. They all attacked me at once, and the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was her shrill voice laughing, just laughing, I won't ever forget that sound, ever." Tears had formed in Rowen's eyes. "I really thought I was going to die, of course, you know what happened next. But now, every time I see her, I hear her voice, taunting me, and laughing at me, and I feel like I'm back in the Dynasty about to die again."

"Rowen, I'm sorry," Sage said gently moving to sit next to his friend. Rowen buried his face in his hands while Sage put his arms around him, allowing Rowen to release his sorrow into him.

----

Sage stood in the empty dojo, anger churning within his usual serene self. "KAYURA!" he shouted into the shadows of the dojo. "KAYURA, GET DOWN HERE NOW!!" In a quick burst of light the heiress of the Ancient's staff appeared before Sage, still wearing the dark kimono she had on earlier. She watched Sage nervously, noting the tension in his shoulders, and the fiery rage in his eyes. "What were you doing in Rowen's apartment today?" Sage said, forgetting all courtesy.

Kayura averted her gaze from Sage's eyes, which seemed to bore directly into her. "I…" she began uncertainly. Sage however, was far too angry to wait for her to get her story together. In one quick move he had backed Kayura into the wall. He put his hand against the wall next to her shoulder and repeated his question with more force.

"What the HELL were you doing in Rowen's apartment?! Last time I checked you're supposed to be protecting the Dynasty from demons, and unless a Warlord was planning on using that teapot as a weapon of mass destruction and you were there to stop him then you have some serious explaining to do!"

"Sage, calm down!" Kayura shouted, shoving the blonde warrior away from her. "I was at Rowen's today because… because I wanted to get to know him better!" she said.

Sage was immediately taken aback. "Get to know him better? You may have skipped this section in the "How to Be Human Handbook", but when you want to 'get to know someone better' you take them out for tea, talk to them, not spy on them!"

"Well what should I have done!? Every time I get near him he starts screaming at me!"

"Well you shouldn't have invaded his privacy!" Sage retorted angrily. Suddenly a thought crossed Sage's mind. "How long have you been doing this?" he asked. She stared at the wall, afraid if they made eye-to-eye contact his stern gaze would force the truth out of her. "How LONG Kayura?!" he shouted.

"Long enough," she retorted, eyes still staring at the wall.

"Long enough for what?!" Sage asked, his fury peaking.

"Long enough to know he's been lying to you," she said calmly, turning to meet Sage's piercing stare. "When he dresses up, it isn't for a science convention, meeting his father's partners, or any of the other excuses he's fed you. He's gone somewhere else entirely." With that she held out her arms and disappeared in a burst of light, leaving a perplexed Sage Date in her wake.

* * *

Kayura's a slick one! Well, let me know what you think!


	3. The Alliance

The disclaimer is the same, the Ronin Warriors are not mine, but Kubi, Juru, Katie and Sarah are.

Now on to Part III!

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Part III: The Alliance

Kayura sat on a bridge covering gold water. She dangled her legs over the side, careful to keep her sandals from falling off. "Sage knows," she sighed. "It won't be long until he tells Rowen… Rowen…" She sighed, putting the staff on her lap. "I wonder how he'll react… he'll probably be angry… with me…" She looked down at the staff. "If only this could help me, if only the staff could make him see me for who I really am." She sighed again and closed her eyes, picturing Rowen's face. "No, I'm not as powerful as I was before. Before… I could do anything, I could force people to do whatever I wanted, I was confident. Now I have nothing, nothing…"

----

"Battamon!" a hoarse voice called, echoing throughout the darkened terrain of the Demon Realm. "Get down here you stupid old monk!" he shouted. Battamon the demon priest appeared in a splash of red light before the speaker, power exuded from him, created light within the dark shadows.

"Well, well, well, I should have known you would call me soon," he said with a mocking tone. "And to meet here of all places, in the area inhabited by the greatest forces of evil that exist.

"I wanted to meet you outside of the Dynasty," he responded. He was clothed in heavy black armor, the breastplate covered with the image of a serpent with red eyes. His helmet covered his face, and from behind it he carefully watched the demon priest.

"Fine then, what is it you want to ask of me?" Battamon feigned loyalty and subservience.

"Talpa's special project…" the elder Warlord said, raising an armored hand to his helmet covered face. "You said you could take me to the warrior, I want to meet this fighter."

"You misunderstood Warlord," he began, waiting for the sentence to begin to sink in. The Warlord's armored face seemed disconcerted. "You want the warrior**s**, plural, there are two of them. But, why would you want to meet these people? Are you fashioning yourself to become Talpa's successor? Would you have yourself be called, Emperor Kubi?" he laughed in his throat. Kubi's response was electrical energy forming around his armored hand. "Alright then, I will let you meet them, Talpa's special pair of warriors," Battamon decided, an evil grin playing on his lips.

----

The Warlord and Demon Priest appeared outside of a small Chinese-style building in the desert area of the Dynasty. Sand flew on the wind and whipped across the faces of the two. The sun beat down overhead, causing the air to be a scorching temperature. From inside of the building they heard sounds of a battle. "The two warriors," Kubi began uncertainly. "You say they were taken from the Mortal Realm?"

"Yes, just before Talpa's assault on that Realm," Battamon responded, his eyes glowing with evil brilliance.

"So then, they probably would not be ready for any serious battles as of yet," Kubi said with growing disappointment.

"No Kubi, you misunderstand, these two warriors were of special importance. Talpa applied the powers of darkness to awaken the warrior spirit within, and he slowed time for them, to give them ample time to train. He also sent them for early kendo training at the… at a mortal's dojo. I assure you, they will be ready for whatever you need them for."

"But why did Talpa abduct them?" Kubi asked, wanting to get all of his facts straight before he met the pair.

"He had his reasons, reasons that I am not to tell you… yet." Kubi seemed to accept this answer, and stepped forward, but paused when he heard the sounds of clanking metal and shrill battle cries escalate.

"What's going on in there?" he asked warily.

"Recently most of the warriors have been fighting for dominance over the others," Battamon responded. "… as Kayura has been keeping a close watch on the higher ranking Warlords. They are currently fighting for their territory, outside of Kayura's view."

The two focused their attention on the building as the scuffle seemed to spread outside, behind the house. Suddenly a brilliant light exploded into the air. Kubi turned his head to the side, but still tried to watch as the explosion erupted above the roof. The sky remained overly bright, as if the attack had enhanced the sun's own powers. From around the side of the building a tall girl walked out. She was clothed in orange and red body armor, and wore a tiara in her hair fixed with a single red jewel. In her hand she held a staff that was emanating bright light. The wind played in her brown hair and the sun caught the jewel and refracted red light shone against the building. The light from the staff died down. Then the door opened and another girl stepped out. She was clothed in blue and red armor, a blue tiara with a red jewel adorning her golden locks. The two stopped short when they noticed Battamon and Kubi. The brunette smirked, expecting another fight over territory, while the blonde smiled at them. The pair looked similar. Both had the same well-defined jaw, and full lips. The brunette's cheekbones were very wide, and her eyes gracefully tilted up.

"Ah, Warlady Sarah and Warlady Katie, I would like you to meet Kubi, your new master, and the soon-to-be emperor of this realm," Battamon said. Kubi eyed the pair uncertainly, but immediately took up an air of superiority when he saw that the brunette's smirk had not changed.

"Well, soon-to-be emperor," she began. "I am Warlady Sarah, and before I pledge any allegiances, I want to know what's in it for me," the brunette stepped forward, her staff held tightly in her right hand as it began to shine again, as if anticipating a battle.

Kubi watched her closely for a moment, her superior expression, and her intimidating stance, then immediately thought of the perfect job for her. "You will be the commander of all of my Dark Warlords," Kubi said, enjoying her attitude. The last thing he needed were scared, and nervous warriors.

"And what about me?" Katie asked taking her place next to Sarah.

"You will represent my power throughout the realm, as Empress." The two girls exchanged glances.

"Deal," Sarah said, and Katie seconded it.

"I believe this will be the beginning of a prosperous future," Kubi stated as Battamon watched.

* * *

Things are starting to heat up now! 


	4. The Coronation

I don't own Ronin Warriors, if I did there would have been a lot more Rowen episodes... 

I stake claim to Warlady Sarah, Warlady Katie, Kubi, and Juru.

I was going over part five and realized there was another scene with Kayura and Sage and Rowen that needed to go in, but it had to go in part four. Therefore, I wrote it in and have re-posted The Consequences of Fallibility Part IV: The Coronation. I hope you like the new segment.

* * *

Part IV – The Coronation

Kayura sat alone on the tatami mat floor of her Dynasty hut. She stared out into space, her eyes clouded and faraway. Inside her mind Rowen's voice seemed to echo the words he had spoken to Sage the previous night. _"But now, every time I see her, I hear her voice, taunting me, and laughing at me, and I feel like I'm back in the Dynasty about to die again."_ "I never **wanted** to hurt him," she whispered. But it was a lie, Lady Kayura, her evil self had taken great pleasure in all of her battles with Rowen. She finally decided that, regardless of his feelings toward her, she had to see Rowen again.

From the doorway Kale watched her silently. He knew that Kayura was hiding something from him, and he had begun to think it had something to do with the Ronin Warriors.

-

The next day, Rowen and Sage were at Sage's dojo training. Both were wearing hakama pants and kimono. Rowen lifted his bow and carefully aimed his arrow, sweat forming on his brow. As he fired Sage lunged at him. The arrow soared over Sage's shoulder as Rowen dodged the sword. Sage swung at him again, and Rowen used his bow to hold him off. Rowen held the bow with one hand, while with the other he reached for an arrow. He pulled back the string, pointing the arrow at Sage's shoulder. Rowen smirked and released the arrow as Sage made to dodge. However, something stopped Sage from moving, and propelled the round-tipped arrow into him. Rowen looked up in surprise as the arrow embedded itself in Sage's skin. "I thought you were going to dodge it!" Rowen exclaimed, putting down his bow. "And it's dull, it should have just bounced off anyway." Sage grimaced and looked at his shoulder. A small trickle of blood was sliding down his kimono. He reached for the arrow but Rowen pushed his arm aside. "I'll do it, I'm really sorry," he said as he quickly pulled the weapon from Sage's flesh.

"It's alright," Sage responded. He raised his hand to the wound. His hand glowed and then the skin healed. Rowen turned his eyes from Sage to the arrow. The arrowhead was covered in blood. Rowen wiped the blood away and then slammed his hand onto it. He pulled his hand away unaffected.

"I don't get it," Rowen said, clearly at a loss. Sage however, had ceased paying attention to Rowen, he felt someone in the dojo with them. Rowen continued analyzing the arrowhead and making commentary, but Sage did not hear him. Sage slowly turned around and gazed into the corner of the room. He saw her.

Kayura stood in the corner in a green kimono, her hand over her mouth in astonishment. Sage mouthed 'wait' at her and then turned back to Rowen.

"Ro, I think I'm done for the day. Why don't you go get changed?"

"Sure," Rowen said, picking up his bow and walking to the door of the dojo. "You coming?" he added, turning to face his blonde-haired friend, an expression of guilt on his face.

"Yeah, in a second." Rowen turned and left. Kayura became visible and rushed over to Sage.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, tenderly touching his shoulder that had been wounded. "I didn't mean to, I don't even know how I did that."

"You need to stop this Kayura. Following Rowen around is crazy, and disrespectful," Sage said sternly.

"I'm so very sorry," Kayura apologized again, her head bowed. "I don't even know why I did that."

"I do," Sage said quietly. "It was a reflex because you saw me attacking him, you wanted to protect him. But Kayura, if you want Rowen to open his heart to you, this is not the way. I understand this whole human thing is new to you. I was really hard on you the other day, but that's because I care about Rowen a lot, and by spying on him, you're only going to end up hurting him. Like now, now he thinks that somehow he shot that arrow hard enough to injure me with it. You're inadvertently messing with his head."

"I know… I just… I just wanted to **see** him. Is that so much to ask?" Kayura looked up at Sage, her large eyes filled with tears.

"For now, yes. He needs time Kayura, and if you really care about him, you'll give him that. You'll stop stalking him and making him paranoid. I don't want to upset him, so I didn't tell him about the other night, and I won't tell him about today either. However, if this ever happens again, I will tell him everything. So promise me you will not follow him around anymore." Kayura did not meet Sage's intense gaze. "Promise me," he repeated.

"I can't promise you anything Sage," Kayura responded. "But I will think about what you said. Goodbye, and thank you Sage of Halo," Kayura said. She bowed to him and then disappeared.

"Don't make me regret this Kayura," Sage whispered.

-

Kubi walked into a large Chinese-style building, flanked by Warlady Sarah and Empress Katie. They entered into a large spacious room. In the center of the room was a long wooden table. The table was surrounded by upper level Warlords, who smirked at the three warriors as they approached.

"So, the great Kubi has graced us with his presence," a Warlord at the head of the table laughed. The Warlord was wearing black and red armor, which was partially covered by a blue cape.

"Ah so good to see you again Juru. How long has it been, five hundred years?" Kubi asked. "Though I believe the last time I saw you, you were running away like a scared dog," Kubi laughed.

"Things have changed Kubi. I have become stronger, and more than capable of leading the coup to unseat Lady Kayura and her band of traitors," Juru responded, his voice cold.

"That's why I'm here Juru. I see you've assembled a nice group of warriors. I have also formed my own little clan of warlords. I'll make my intentions clear Juru, I plan on taking over the Dynasty and becoming Emperor, taking up the throne Talpa was forced from. But for my plan to succeed I need most of the upper level warlords on my side."

"You're hilarious Kubi. What did you think I would do, just agree with your little plan and start calling you master? Well like I said, I have my own plan for this realm, so I suggest you leave, before you further insult me and my warlords," Juru said, staring at Kubi and laughing. Kubi took a step toward the table, and three Warlords stood up to block his way.

In a flash of red light Warlady Sarah knocked down one of the warlords. On Kubi's other side, Katie took down the warlord in a shine of blue. Then Kubi mutilated the last warlord, shredding his armor, and leaving him lying prone on the floor.

Juru stopped laughing. "So I see you have those two little girls fighting for you now," Juru said, his voice hard and cold.

"We're not exactly 'little girls' as I believe Katie showed you," Sarah laughed. Juru narrowed his eyes at her.

"So Juru, what will it be? Will you and your warlords join my troupe, or would you like to take our disagreement outside?" Juru looked from Kubi, to Sarah, to Katie, and then to his three battered Warlords, then back to Kubi again. Juru stood up at the end of the table and stared straight at Kubi. His Warlords also rose to their feet.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let the coronation begin!" Juru shouted. Kubi smiled and nodded.

-

Kayura was sitting on the floor crying. It was all she seemed to do lately. She knew that she should not have gone to the dojo that day, and she felt very guilty about hurting Sage. "When…" she whispered to herself. "…when I saw Sage attacking him; even though the sword was dull… I just wanted to stop him… I did not want Rowen to get hurt, even though I **knew** that Sage would not hurt him, so why did I do it anyway? In that moment, my heart was beating so erratically, I just reached out and… I didn't even know that my power could do that…"

She sat in silence, pondering the last thing she said. A stream of moonlight suddenly poured through the skylight above her, bathing her in its silvery glow. Kayura tipped her head back and looked at the sky, she stared at the twinkling stars that lit the firmament. As she gazed above her, Rowen's face seemed to form in the blackness. More tears streamed down Kayura's cheeks. "Mother… I… I wish you were here… you were killed before you were able to teach me about **love**…"

Kayura's thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room slid open. "Kayura!" Kale shouted, standing in the doorway. Kayura wiped the tears from her eyes and faced him.

"What is it Kale?"

"Something is about to happen, something dark. The demon spirits are restless…" he began, the shadows covering most of his face. The scar on his cheek seemed to standout more than usual against his skin.

Then Seckhmet and Dais appeared in the doorway behind Kale. All three Warlords were wearing their undergear.

"Warlords are on the move, they are congregating at the palace," Seckhmet announced.

"Well then, let's see what they're doing," Kayura said, picking up her staff.

A large group of warlords and warladies assembled in a darkened cave. The cave existed beneath the palace. The cave was circular, with levels of seating carved into the rock walls. Lower level Warlords took their places on the seats, eager for what was about to occur. In the center of the room, a pool of bubbling red liquid boiled in anticipation. Then a light shone through the opening to the cave. All attention turned there. Battamon, the demon priest entered, his hand filled with flames to illuminate the procession. He stood at the very back of the cave. Then a procession of Warlords and Warladies began. These upper level fighters formed a circle around the pool. The last to arrive were Juru, followed by Sarah and Katie. Juru entered the circle, but Katie and Sarah stood on either side of the opening.

"Prepare to meet your new emperor!" Battamon shouted. This shout was met by cheers from the crowd. "Emperor Kubi!" Then Kubi entered, a lone armored figure, met by screams and applause from the crowd. Kubi stepped through the opening of the circle and into the bubbling pool. Then Katie and Sarah closed the circle.

"Nether spirits!" Battamon shouted. "Arise! Arise and christen your new master! _Akurei no okoru! Okoru! Okoru to atarashii koutei no kurisuten! Okoru! Okoru!_" Battamon chanted. The other warlords picked up the chant.

_"OKORU! OKORU!"_ They screamed, stomping their armored feet. Then they arose; one by one the Demon Spirits levitated out of the pool, surrounded in a sphere of dark power.

"Let it be know that all who stand around me today, are hereby dedicating their lives to me, and me alone!" Kubi shouted. "And that betrayal is not an option! So come, come join in this ritual, if you are ready to call me 'master'!" The warlords and ladies cheered again.

Dark power from the nether spirits formed around the cave and its occupants. Lightning bolts of power descended onto Kubi, who stood with his arms raised, greedily consuming the energy of the nether spirits. The bolts of lightning hit his followers as well, bestowing upon them greater dark power.

Kayura, Seckhmet, Dais, and Kale all entered the cave together, and watched as the group of warriors before them gained energy.

"A dark coronation," Kayura whispered. "STOP THIS!" she screamed. The warriors turned toward her, and as they did a single bolt of dark power struck Kayura. She staggered, taking a few steps backward.

"Kayura! Are you alright?" Dais asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she responded. By now she had the attention of every warlord and lady in the cave.

"Well, well, well, look who came to join in the coronation, never can avoid dark energy when it's been unleashed, can you Kayura?" Sarah mocked, turning to the heiress to the Ancient's staff.

When Sarah turned toward Kayura, the rings on the staff began to shake, clanging against each other. "You… you're…" Kayura began. "But you shouldn't…"

"A little tongue-tied Kayura? What's wrong, am I that frightening?" Sarah responded, while the warriors laughed.

Kayura shook her head and held out her staff. The ball at the top began to glow, blinding the warriors in the cave. "Whatever plans you had for taking over the Dynasty end here," Kayura said in a warning tone. Katie and Sarah alone seemed unaffected by the staff. "And the two of you should never have been in this realm in the first place," she added in reference to the girls. Katie and Sarah brandished their weapons at Kayura, but suddenly a black hole formed behind them. Kubi's eyes were glowing red, suggesting that he had created it. He held his hands out before him, emanating a strong dark energy. This energy blocked the power of Kayura's staff. The warlords and ladies hurriedly jumped into the black hole. Katie and Sarah showed no signs of retreating.

"Sarah, Katie! Get into the vortex!" Kubi shouted. After a moment of hesitation, Katie and Sarah turned and entered the vortex. "This isn't over Kayura," Kubi warned, before he too entered the vortex and disappeared.

"No, it's only just begun," Kayura whispered.

* * *

Not much about the Ronin in that one, but Kayura's really got her hands full with Kubi and the warlords around.

Thanks so much to the people who've been reviewing! I'm so glad you like my writing!

On another note, the sentences: 'Arise and christen your new master!'_ 'Okoru to atarashii koutei no kurisuten!' _mean the same thing. Cool, ne?


	5. The Beginning

I own Warlady Katie, Warlady Sarah, Kubi, Juru, and the ideas presented here, that's all.

Well, it has been a while. I hope it was worth the wait!

* * *

Part V: The Beginning

Sage, Ryo, Kento, Sai, and Mia all sat down in Mia's living room. Sage and Mia sat on the couch, Ryo on the floor, and Kento and Sai on the other sofa. "So, I talked to him…" Sage began. Everyone watched Sage with rapt attention. "I don't think we should bother him about Kayura anymore…"

"That bad?" Sai asked. Sage nodded.

"What happened when I was knocked unconscious?" Ryo asked suddenly. "I mean my power was drained, and the next thing I knew I was waking up on a boat, and Rowen had given up," Ryo explained. "That missing piece, it's critical isn't it?" Sage nodded again.

"Well, you know how each of us feel about certain warlords, with me it's Kale, Sai's is Seckhmet, and Kento has Dais, Kayura is Rowen's personal Hell-Warlord, except the difference is we all eventually beat our adversaries, he never did. After Ryo was knocked out, Kayura tried to keep Ryo in the cave or wherever they were. But Rowen busted a route out, and attacked Kayura so White Blaze could escape with Ryo. This infuriated her, and she made her intentions to kill Rowen quite clear. They fought for a long time, and right before Ryo woke up, he used himself to shield Ryo from one of her attacks. That's why it looked like he'd given up, he did everything he could, even to the point of sacrificing himself, and still could not save Ryo, or defeat her."

The Ronin sat in silence, looking away from each other.

"There's more…" Sage began tentatively. "He has a scar on his chest, in the shape of an X." Ryo looked up when Sage said that. "The impression of her crossed swords… When Rowen decided to distract her so Ryo could get away, she attacked him in the air, sent him flying. He landed on a boat filled with soldiers, and they all attacked him at once… he couldn't get away…"

"Well that certainly explains a lot…" Sai began. "I can see why he wouldn't want to be near her. To be so close to death, so often… it's horrible…"

"There's something else I have to tell you…" Sage began. He hesitated, unsure if he wanted to disclose this to them. "Last night, there was a crash in the kitchen, and when we went in there, there seemed to be no one there… but there was…"

"Another enemy?" Kento asked.

"I hope not…" Sage started. "Because I saw through the invisibility disguise of the person in the kitchen, and it was Kayura…"

"Kayura? Spying on Rowen?" Mia asked.

"Yes, and apparently she's been doing this for a long time… she even showed up at the dojo earlier today…"

"Rowen must've flipped out when he found out!" Kento exclaimed.

"Except that I didn't tell him," Sage said quickly.

"What? Why not!" Ryo demanded.

"He's paranoid enough as it is. Imagine how nervous he would be if he knew Kayura's been making herself invisible and following him around for who knows how long?"

"Well we can't let this go on…" Sai said.

"No, we're going to have to deal with Kayura ourselves. Here's the other thing, she says he's been lying to us, that he's been going somewhere and covering up for it."

-

Kubi stood alone on the roof of a building. He stared intensely at the Dynasty Palace, its cracked and shattered spires; the collapsed roofs. Nether Spirits levitated in the air, surrounding it; the orange tinted spheres which housed them cast a lurid glow on the gold castle. The spirits chanted in a low tone, their words spun around, seemingly interlocking with the gold light they cast. Battamon hovered just above the castle. He captured the power from the spirits and channeled it into the building. Before his eyes, Kubi saw the half-destroyed palace being repaired, slowly, yet with a rhythm so crisp one could imagine a drum behind the chants of the spirits.

-

Kayura huddled in her room, breathing heavily. She felt something akin to an electrical surge pulsing through her body; it was something she had not felt in a very long time. "No…" she whispered. "No please…" She clutched her head as images spun through her mind. She was a young girl, being kidnapped by Dynasty soldiers as they ravaged her village, then as she grew, being taught how to fight, how to use her dark powers, then when Talpa handed her the Starlight Swords, the power that came from them… that electricity that shook her body. Tears fell from Kayura's eyes and spattered against her hands, which were clutching her knees. "I can't go back there… I can't be like that again…" Ever since she had received a bolt of dark energy at the coronation, Kayura was feeling the desire for power again. She felt herself losing control of her mind, and her body, and it terrified her.

She heard a soft knock on the door. It opened and Kale stepped into the room. "Kayura… are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes… I'm fine…" she responded, but her voice shook. "Just leave me alone Kale…"

"Alright…" Kale responded hesitantly. He peered in at Kayura before sliding her door closed.

Kale turned away from the door, and to the two Warlords who were staring at him in expectation. "Something is wrong with her," Kale said.

"What do you mean?" Seckhmet demanded.

"She just seems… off…" Kale said uncertainly.

"Could it have been from that dark energy blast she received?" Dais asked, stepping towards the door. "Because if that is the case, then we need to intervene…"

"Why?" Seckhmet asked.

"Kayura grew up being fed dark energy, it is just as much a part of her as our armor powers are a part of us. For her to feel that again… it would be intense… all it takes is one taste for her to crave it once again."

"But what can we do to stop that?" Sechkmet inquired.

"I'm not sure, but we could talk to the Ronin, they might know," Dais said thoughtfully.

"No!" Kale shouted. The other two turned to him in surprise. "We cannot involve the Ronin, don't you see, they are part of this! She has been acting strange for a while, and she continually locks herself in her room. I was getting suspicious, so yesterday, after I heard her teleport out, I went into the room and saw she still had a Dynasty screen running."

"What had she been looking at?" Seckhmet asked.

"The Ronin Warriors." The two stared at him silently once more. "Well two of them anyway, Rowen of the Strata, and Sage of the Halo."

"Why would she be watching them?" Dais said.

"It does not matter. Either way, Kubi is currently having the Nether Spirits re-build the palace. We need her to stop him," Dais said urgently.

"Kayura is not in a good enough state of mind to fight him, and he would just go back to it as soon as her back was turned," Kale said. "So we'll have to go without her."

"That's a death sentence!" Dais exclaimed. "As much as I hate to rely on Kayura for power, we can't face anyone in this Dynasty without her. If we attack Kubi now, he'll kill us, or worse…" Dais ended darkly.

"What do you mean worse?" Kale asked.

"Do you not know what lies in the foulest reaches of the Palace, aside from the pools of Nether Spirits?" Dais asked. They shook their heads.

"Torture chambers. Dark stone rooms with only one door, which securely locks, sealing the chamber until it is airtight. In the center of the room lie the chains, the shackles, the metal cuffs. These can restrain any man, no matter how much "power" he may have. Then there are the instruments of pain. The whips with metal talons, the spears, the torches…" Dais paused, letting his words sink in. Seckhmet and Kale stared blindly back at him, their expressions grim, as they imagined what it would be like to be confined to a torture chamber. Dais, the illusionist worked his powers with his words. Darkness seemed to swell around Seckhmet and Kale, and they could hear the door slam shut – airtight… they heard the screams of men, the cracking of whips… they smelled the blood, the rotting flesh, disease, and death. Dais began to speak again. "The worst part of all, are the torturers themselves… Women most of them, they are beautiful to the eye, but evil and sadistic to their cores. The most infamous is Lady Kize… she feeds on the pain of others, their screams; their blood is her sustenance… Once someone has been subjected to her, they are never the same again…" Dais waited for the words to wash over his fellow warlords, then the illusion disappeared. Seckhmet and Kale blinked, and then turned their attention to Dais again.

"How do you know all of this?" Kale marveled.

"I have been here a very long time Kale, surely not much longer than you, but I have explored the Dynasty for all that it is. I actually met Lady Kize once, I will never forget that image… her body armor covered in someone else's blood… the smirk on her face…"

"I do not understand," Seckhmet interrupted. "What use would Talpa have for that sort of torture? Why not just utilize the spirits as he usually does?"

Dais shrugged. "In all of our years here, can any of us say that we truly were able to understand Talpa, and why he does what he does? Although I do know that while the spirits coax warriors to turn back to the dark side, only Lady Kize can entirely destroy a man's will. And by doing that, she can destroy a man entirely."

"I bet Kubi would just love to do that to us," Seckhmet fumed. "If only we were stronger than him, strong enough to defeat him and his warlords too! At least before all we had to fear was Talpa, now we cannot walk around the Dynasty without fear of an ambush! Sometimes I wonder why we ever changed sides…"

"Well either way, with Kayura weakened, there is no way to stop Kubi. At this rate, he will soon have dominion over this realm," Dais said. "And when that happens, we will have to make a choice…" The three stared at the ground in grave silence.

-

Warlady Sarah appeared beside Kubi. "You called for me?" she said, turning to him, her brown hair moving in the slight wind, the red jewel on her tiara catching the sun.

His eyes still fixed on the palace, Kubi responded, "Is it not marvelous, the way the Nether Spirits can repair something so damaged?" Sarah turned to the palace, and watched in silence as the last spire was repaired. "What happened to Talpa was a shame, it really was. He could have won, he could have defeated the Ronin Warriors. I could never understand him."

"Are you saying that you do not wish to be emperor?" Sarah inquired, her eyebrows raised.

"No, just that this is not what I originally desired. When Talpa launched his assault on the Mortal Realm, I begged him to let me fight the Ronin Warriors. I had long tried to usurp Anubis' role as his right hand. He would not allow it, even though I was stronger than Anubis. Then when I tried to secure a place in the throne room before him, he refused again, only admitting the four Warlords with the armor like the Ronin to join him there. I know now why he kept those Warlords: Anubis, Kale, Seckhmet, and Dais close – he desired their armor… However, he should not have depended on them so heavily. I should have been one of his chosen warriors, if I was at his side, those Ronin brats would not have stood a chance." Kubi sighed.

"So you would have been happy being second in command to Talpa? You did not desire the throne?" Sarah asked, stunned. She stared at him with her bluish-purple eyes wide.

"No, being in charge is not everything Warlady Sarah," Kubi sighed. "I have never been the best at making plans…"

Warlady Sarah laughed. "I suppose we will soon see whether you can lead or not."

* * *

Kayura's really not having that great of a time.

Note on the use of "Ronin" rather than "Ronins": In Japanese there is no plural form, so I have been leaving Japanese words as-is, however if itgetsconfusing, "Ronins" may appear in the story.

Hope you liked the latest installment!


	6. Decisions

Same disclaimer as usual.

I know it's been a while! Sorry! I hope it's worth the wait. Enjoy!

* * *

Part VI: Decisions

Mia lowered herself onto a couch, her attention turned to the small table beside it. On the table was a framed photograph of the Ronin Warriors. They were in their undergear standing in a circle with their hands stacked between them. "Oh guys," she sighed. "It just doesn't end does it?" She held the picture in her hands. "We thought you had beaten Talpa once, and then he came back… You defeated him again, but it looks like you're still not done, not if Kayura… Will the Dynasty ever leave us alone?" She put the picture back down. "Oh, Anubis… If only you were still with us…" She remembered how gently Anubis had placed the Jewel of Life around her neck, his soft words. "How little time we spent together Anubis, it's not fair, I think I was beginning to fall in love with you…" she sighed again, her eyes tearing up. She stood up and walked across the room.

"Come on Mia, you need to focus on the current situation, not think about Anubis…" She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them they were dry. "So, Kayura is in love with Rowen and stalking him… nice… Who would have thought that this would happen? And poor Rowen, he has enough to deal with…"

"I should have thought you would say that," a bitter voice snapped. Mia spun around and saw a woman standing in the entrance to the room. Her blue hair was disheveled, and her gold obi hung loosely around her narrow hips, the bow limp.

"Kayura!" Mia exclaimed. "What happened to you!"

"What happened to me? What _hasn't_ happened to me! I live in the **Dynasty**!" she screeched, tossing her arms around to emphasize certain words.

"Okay… but… what are you doing _here_?" Mia asked calmly.

"What am I doing here?"

"You keep repeating everything I say…" Mia muttered.

"I am **here** because I needed a **friend**!" she screamed, her eyes filling with tears. Her kimono slipped down a little, exposing her shoulder. "But I should have assumed that you would not support me, that you would not be kind to me, or understand me! You still blame me for Anubis don't you!"

"What!"

"You do! I heard you earlier… 'Oh Anubis, it's not fair, I was in _loooooovvvveeeeeee_ with _yoooooooooouuuuuuuuu_!" Kayura said, her voice simpering in a mock impression of Mia.

"You were **spying** on me!" Mia shouted.

"Just for a little while…" Kayura murmured.

"And you're mocking me! About Anubis! You….!" Mia lunged forward and grabbed Kayura by the shoulders. Kayura pushed back against Mia's shoulders. The two women fought each other's grips, and then toppled onto the floor. They rolled across the carpeted floor, each releasing one hand which they used to rip at the others' hair. All the while Mia was releasing a torrent of epithets upon Kayura, who was shouting incoherently at her. Suddenly they heard the door open. They stopped shouting for a moment and waited. "Mia? Are you here?" Kento's voice called. Both of them sighed, it was just Kento. However, Kayura took Mia's moment of distraction to launch a second attack on Mia. Kayura savagely grabbed Mia's hair, and pulled her hand back full of auburn locks. This was too much for Mia. She rolled on top of Kayura, pulled her right hand back and then released a firm punch into Kayura's face.

"Mia!" Kento exclaimed as he entered the room. Mia stood up and watched Kayura hurry to her feet. Kayura attempted to straighten her kimono which hand fallen completely off of her left shoulder, revealing the silk she wrapped around her chest.

"What exactly do you want Kayura?" Mia screamed.

"I want Rowen!" Kayura shouted, bursting into tears.

Kento stood in the back of the room, stunned into silence. Kayura sank to her knees, sobbing into her hands. "Kayura…" Mia began, kneeling before her. She reached out to touch Kayura's shoulder, but the heiress to the Ancient's power viciously pushed her hand away.

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice cold and shaking. "I was wrong to come here, I can't trust you, I can't trust Sage, **I can't trust anyone!** But that's alright, I don't need any of you, I will get Rowen **myself**, and once he falls in love with me, you will all feel very foolish!" With that Kayura disappeared, leaving a glimmer of violet light in her wake.

"Mia, are you okay?" Kento asked, reaching out to her. Mia slowly stood, but she was shaking. "Are you okay?" Kento asked more urgently.

"When she disappeared… it was violet… not gold…" she turned to Kento, who stared wide-eyed back at her.

Ryo and Rowen walked through the woods near Ryo's cabin, the July sun beating down on them. They were both silent, staring at the lush landscape around them. Rowen stared up at the cloudless sky, sweat forming on his brow. Finally Ryo nervously broke the silence.

"Hey, Ro…" he began. Rowen turned to look at his black-haired friend. "I just thought you should know… Sage told us… about… you know… Kayura… and what you said…" Ryo mumbled.

Rowen nodded thoughtfully. Ryo regarded him anxiously, Sage never said if they should bring it up or not. "Well I guess that's better then. I would rather not have to repeat it again and again." He took two steps and then turned around to face Ryo. "You know what though, talking about it with Sage really helped. Now that everything's out in the open I feel a lot better. I've also decided to give Kayura a second chance."

"Really Rowen! That's great!" Ryo exclaimed, clapping his friend on the back. The two teens walked through the forest side by side.

The next day, Rowen sat at his kitchen table, a stack of mail in front of him. He put his father's mail to the side and then began looking at the letters addressed to him. There was a postcard from his mother (she was in New Zealand, and the postcard showed a lush green landscape and a river), his scores from the computer class he had taken in the spring, a letter from Han'a High about his science aptitude tests, and one more letter. He broke the official-looking seal on the back of it and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was expensive paper, the kind with the company's name stamped into it. The letter was handwritten in blue ink. He carefully read it:

_Dear Mister Rowen Hashiba,_

_Upon review of your cram school results, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our transfer program. This is a very prestigious achievement! We have attached admissions forms and information on the school itself, including the on-campus housing information you requested. We look forward to your enrollment._

_Sincerely,_

_Ayame Kounzoku _

_President of the Hachime Prep School_

_Nakano, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan_

Rowen reread the letter several times, then he sighed and placed it on the table. As he did he pulled the packets out of the envelope. The picture on the cover showed a large Prep School campus enclosed by a stone wall and wrought iron gate. The curvy font above the picture read "Hachime Prep School – the gateway to your future". He flipped the book open and saw floor plans for student housing. The first floorplan was of a small one bedroom apartment, complete with kitchen, bath, and a spacious study area with a desk and computer. The others were similar, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms varying. Rowen put the booklet down and sighed again. Then he got up, put his shoes on and left the apartment.

Kayura called up one of the Dyansty screens. "Rowen of Strata," she whispered. The screen flickered to life with an image of Rowen. He was standing in the park, the sunlight making his blue hair shine. He leaned against the railing around the park as if he was deep in thought. "Oh Rowen, what can I do?" she whispered. "You're the only person I care about, I never knew I could feel this way. After everything I've done in my life, this one feeling was beyond my grasp. I never thought I could fall in love… Can't you love me back? Won't you?" she asked quietly.

In a park in Toyama, Rowen Hashiba suddenly had the disturbing feeling that someone was watching him; that someone was closing in on him. He looked around nervously. He could feel the Dynasty's presence all around him. "Who's there!" he shouted, and then immediately felt dumb when the people in the park stared at him and no one else appeared. As he walked away he could still feel the presence, and nervously wondered what would happen when he was alone.


	7. The Encounter

Part VII: The Encounter

Rowen could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up. His senses were heightened, his mind in full battle mode; however, he had yet to be approached by whatever it was that followed him. He at last reached his apartment, and, pulling the door closed behind him, spoke in a loud, clear voice, "I know you've been following me! Show yourself!" He was almost surprised when he saw a shadow appear in the dark room before him. He suddenly began to panic, he could feel dark energy from the being, and realized he should have come up with a better plan; alerted the other Ronin perhaps.

"Do not fear me…" a female voice quivered.

Rowen was stunned. "Kayura?" he asked, switching the lights on. Indeed it was Kayura, clothed in a dirty kimono, her hair disheveled. "What happened to you?" he asked, surveying her.

"Oh no… I must look like a mess…" Kayura whispered, frantically smoothing her hair. "Wait… wait one minute…" she said. She held up the staff, and brilliant gold light surrounded her. When it dissipated, she was clothed in an elegant sea foam green kimono, and her hair was smooth. "There, that's better…" she murmured. Rowen eyed her warily, she seemed distracted, and the evil power he sensed had not faded at all.

"Kayura…" he began tentatively. "Why are you here?"

She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "You are not… I mean… I thought that maybe… maybe you would be happy to see me…"

"It's not that I don't want to see you, but why? Why did you follow me? What do you want?" Rowen worded his sentences carefully, seeing that she was in a state of distress. "Has something happened?"

"Yes… something has…" She paused, and Rowen waited in silence. "I know what I want, and I am not afraid to admit it…" She dropped the staff and stepped towards him, until she was very close. She stared up at him, her hands reaching out towards his waist. "Rowen… you are what I want," she whispered. She stood on her toes, and angled her chin so that her face was almost level with his. She grasped him firmly by the waist and closed her eyes, leaning towards him. Rowen pulled back from her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, backing into the door.

"I am talking about our love! Can you not feel it? Feel it all around you! Do not deny it, because I feel it, I feel the blazing in my heart! And so do you!" She pushed herself against him again, and attempted to kiss him. Rowen however, was too quick. He easily slid out from behind her. Rowen pushed Kayura against the wall, keeping her an arm's-length away from him. "Kayura! What do you think you're doing!"

"Rowen… don't… don't you love me?" she asked weakly.

"No Kayura, I don't…" he responded, firmly, yet gently. Tears flowed down Kayura's cheeks. She faced away from him.

"Not yet… but maybe soon…" she whispered, as violet light surrounded her and she, and the staff which lay on the floor, disappeared. Even though she was gone, he heard the next thing she said. "Definitely soon…"

"What?" Rowen exclaimed as he fell forward, his hands now leaning against the wall. "What is wrong with her? She… She thinks she's in love with me?"

Kayura reappeared in her room, sobbing. She fell to her knees; tears streaming down her face. "Why…?" she whispered. "Why does he not love me!" She knocked her fist against the tatami mat floor. "I can fix this, I can! I just need to concentrate!" She closed her eyes for a moment, but could not focus herself. "Why can I not concentrate!"

"In need of something Kayura?" a man's voice asked.

"Who… Who's there?" Kayura demanded. She looked up and saw Kale standing before her, clothed in his undergear as always.

"K…Kale… oh, um, hello," Kayura said, sitting up.

"Are you alright Kayura? Do you need something?" Kale asked, sitting beside her.

"Something… something's wrong with me Kale… I… I cannot focus…" she murmured. Kale reached over and touched her chin, turning her head so he could see her eyes. Within the dark orbs was a sort of fire.

"Kayura… have you been exposed to dark energy?" Kale demanded.

"Yes… at the coronation… I think…" she responded.

"This is bad! Kayura! Stay right there, I will get you something to calm you!" Kale shouted. He stood up and raced out of the room.

Kayura sat huddled in the corner of the room, tears falling from her eyes. "Why is this happening to me? I've been exposed to evil again, and after tonight… how can I possibly get Rowen?" As she spoke, a dark blue smoke filtered into the room. She did not notice it until it was upon her. As it hit her nostrils, she breathed deeply. Her eyes closed, and her body relaxed as she inhaled the smoke.

From behind the shoji screen door, a woman with bright red hair watched Kayura. "That's right Kayura, inhale the dark energy, become what you were."

Rowen stood in his kitchen, thinking about what had just happened. "What should I do about this? Kayura in love with me… it's insane! I can't believe this is happening! Why can't my life just settle down!" As Rowen ranted and raged, he blocked a thought from his mind, how embarrassed he would be to tell the Ronin about what had just happened.

Rowen sat down at the kitchen table, thoroughly frustrated. He looked down and saw the letter from Hachime Prep School. He stared at the picture of the school, the iron gate, the students. "Tokyo huh? Maybe it would be good to get away…" he whispered to himself, picking up the packet.

Kale returned, a cup of tea made with a blend of relaxing herbs in his hands. "Kayura! I have something for you!" he shouted. He was surprised however, to find Kayura not huddling or crying, but sitting in the middle of the room, meditating. A stick of incense created a smoky haze around her.

"It's alright Kale, I do not need that now. I am fine," Kayura said without opening her eyes.

Kale regarded her suspiciously, and as he walked out, he glanced at her once more. Then he closed the shoji screen behind him, all the while shaking his head. "Something is not right… I just know it…" Kale whispered.

As the door closed, Kayura opened her eyes. Her irises were glowing with fervent dark energy. She stared at the closed door, and smiled.

* * *

That was short, but it's all starting to pick up now! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!

Sarah Shima


	8. The Future

As usual, I do not own anything except for Kubi, Katie, Sarah, and the events in this story.

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Part VIII: The Future

As the evil power inhabiting Lady Kayura began to grow, Kubi furthered his plans to conquer the Nether Realm. He had managed to gain control over the armies of darkness, the Nether Spirits, and had gained allegiance from most of the Warlords. Kayura however, did not even try to stop him. The three former dark warlords dared not raise a weapon against Kubi, knowing it would be their destruction. Kayura refused to see any of them, spending her time either fending off, or inviting in, the darkness around her.

Meanwhile, Kento and Mia had been discussing, at length, the situation with Kayura. "Kento… what should we do?" Mia asked.

"I'm not sure there is anything we can do," Kento responded honestly. "We could tell Rowen, but how would that help? It would just make him paranoid."

"But remember what she said, she'd find a way to make him hers, what if she does something to him?" Mia questioned.

"I don't think she would. I mean, she's like, obsessed with him and stuff, but I don't think she'd do anything to him. She may be a little unstable, but she **is** an Ancient."

"I know, I just do not want to regret not telling him later…" Mia murmured.

"I'll talk to Sai, get a third opinion on this thing," Kento reassured her.

"Should we tell Ryo?" Mia asked.

"I don't know, I think Ryo will probably just defend her, or blame himself," Kento laughed. "I'll clue in Sage too. Don't worry about it Mia, everything is going to be fine. We **are** the Ronin Warriors after all. We beat Kayura once, and, if it comes down to it, which I really hope it doesn't, we can beat her again." Kento winked at Mia, and then left the mansion.

"Yes… but what if you're too late…" Mia whispered.

Kayura's face turned bright red as she thought of her encounter with Rowen the night before. "I came on too strong… I was too pathetic… I have to try again…" Kayura whispered to herself. The dark power that consumed her made her feel strong, and sure of herself. Kayura stood up and examined herself in the mirror. She stood perfectly straight, her head upright in confidence. She waved her hand in front of herself, creating a violet glow. When it disappeared she was standing in a pair of cuffed short shorts, which revealed the expanse of white skin on her legs, a purple T-shirt that ended just slightly above her navel, and a denim jacket. She secured a purple bow in her hair, and re-tied the sneakers that had appeared on her feet. "There, might as well approach Rowen like any other human girl would. No more kimono, he did not find it alluring last time, maybe he prefers this."

Rowen heard a knock at his door. Puzzled that someone had gotten to the door without buzzing first, he pulled his crystal out of his pocket and slowly approached. Wishing there was a peephole on his door, he stopped before it, and then quickly opened. He was more than a little stunned to see who stood there. "Kayura?" he asked. This was not a Kayura he had ever seen before, she was dressed like a modern person, and, wow, she was showing a lot of skin.

"Rowen… do not say anything. I wanted to tell you that I am very embarrassed about what happened the other night. I do not know what came over me. However, to make up for it, I would greatly appreciate it if you would join me for some coffee," Kayura proposed.

Rowen was unsure of what to do. After her little display of insanity the other night, he found it hard to trust her. The coffee might just be a trick. He could still sense the evil in her, however, he did not know if it would be worse to refuse, or to go. He finally gave in to curiosity and agreed. "Just let me grab my shoes and keys," he said. He did not invite her in. Kayura waited patiently outside of the door. She tried not to stare at him, but she could not help herself, he was so gorgeous.

He joined her in the hall, and the two exited the building together. They walked in uncomfortable silence for a while, once they had gotten to the café, and ordered their coffee, Kayura spoke, "It is so good to get out of the Dynasty. It can be beautiful, but I have spent most of my life there, yet this is the world I was born into, the world I was meant to live in."

"It must be strange, having to deal with the two different worlds, and the life that was stolen from you," Rowen responded.

"I sometimes wonder what would have happened if the Dynasty had not kidnapped me and destroyed the village. I probably would have grown up, gotten married, and had a very nice life. Now, everything is so unclear. I feel like I do not really belong in either world. I still have the same dream as every other girl; marriage to a wonderful man," she paused here and looked at Rowen. "…children, a happy life, growing old with the person I love the most."

"Do you see that in your future?" Rowen asked, trying not to think about the amorous look she gave him when she said "wonderful man."

"It all depends…"

"On what?" he countered.

"On you…" she whispered. He heard her, and looked away. Once again they were surrounded by silence.

"Kayura…" he began. She turned toward him, and suddenly he could not speak. Her eyes were hard and cold; he had seen those eyes before. _"What could you possibly have to gain by playing the hero?"_ He heard her voice in his mind. And that was when he knew, his instinct had been right on all along, she was indeed turning into Lady Kayura again. However, what did that mean for him?

Kento relayed the story of Mia's fight with Kayura to Sage and Sai. They were in a large, outdoor café in Toyama, sitting in the corner. "She's worse than I thought…" Sage whispered.

"She's that obsessed with him?" Sai asked. "That's horrible…"

"For Rowen, or for her?" Kento asked, his eyebrows raised.

Sai chose to ignore that comment, and continue. "So, by the way she disappeared, did you and Mia come to the assumption that she is evil again?" Sai asked.

"I don't know dude, but she was definitely using some evil power. That doesn't mean that **she** is evil."

"Either way, evil magic is evil, she can so easily be corrupted, having grown up on the stuff. I think we have to make sure that she stays away from Rowen," Sage declared.

"Well, I think we're too late for that," Kento said, gesturing to the other end of the seating area. The two Ronin followed his gaze, and to their surprise and horror, saw Kayura and Rowen sitting together.

Rowen, though he could scarcely bear to admit it, was scared. He had no idea what Kayura was going to do, the power in her, the coldness in her eyes, all told Rowen that she could turn on him in an instant, make him regret not falling in love with her. He stayed silent, his eyes fixated on Kayura's hands, lest she attempt to attack him.

"So Rowen, do you like my outfit?" Kayura asked, her voice charismatic.

"It's very… um… _western_," Rowen managed to choke out. Kayura took his hesitation to nervousness, an early stage of attraction, and responded with giggles.

"Kayura," Rowen suddenly said harshly. "I can't do this. Like I told you the other night, I do not love you, nor will I ever."

"You do not know that for sure!" Kayura cried. "You could love me, in time! Please, do not give up on this before it has begun!"

"You have to stop this, rid yourself of that evil power, and find yourself someone else to lust after!" Rowen shouted. He turned and quickly stormed out.

"Rowen!" she called. Rowen moved faster at the sound of his name, worried that she would pursue him. She did not.

Sage, Kento, and Sai watched Rowen run, and then turned their attention to Kayura. Tears flowed down her cheeks, her mouth formed into a snarl. Without regard for secrecy, she disappeared.

* * *

Ooohhh, what will Kayura do now?

I'm not sure if that was the best spot to end it or not. However, I really want to finish this story, so I can work more on the next ones. It's starting to wind down now!

I hope you all enjoyed, keep your eyes out for the next update, and keep those reviews coming!

Sarah Shima


	9. Destiny

Hello again! I decided it was time for another update, the story is starting to reach its climax, so it's becoming more exciting to write, and hopefully more exciting to read as well!

Disclaimer: To have hadacquired therights to RW, I would probably have to call it YST, andI would probably have to be a Japanese person... and I'm not...

* * *

Part IX: Destiny

"Tell me Badamon, why did Talpa abduct these girls?" Kubi asked, sitting before the demon priest in a cave deep within the Dynasty.

"Talpa may have been foolish, but he was never _stupid_. He had the good sense to abduct Kayura in order to harness the powers of the Ancient's clan – of course that did not work out exactly. He lured the four Dark Warlords to his side with promises of power and greatness, and he would have had the five Ronin Warriors as well, except that they refused his bribes, and their armors could not be controlled once they had been released," Badamon explained.

"You still have not answered my question," Kubi responded.

"If I answered now, it would just ruin the whole surprise," Badamon whispered, more to himself than to Kubi. Badamon was not one to switch sides so easily. His allegiance would forever be with Talpa, and if that meant he would get to watch Kubi's plans blow up in his face, then so be it.

"What, are you going to make me guess?" Kubi insisted. "Tell me Priest!"

"Do you remember the three clans of demons who took the name of the Hisa-Me a thousand years or so ago?" Badamon asked.

"Yes… how is that relevant?" Kubi asked, frowning.

"Perhaps it is relevant, perhaps it is not, you will just have to wait and see," Badamon laughed, disappearing.

Kubi frowned in Badamon's wake, wondering what the creepy priest meant by that. Kubi's frown deepened as he began to question whether Badamon was truly his ally.

Kayura was angry, very angry. She tore through her room, throwing magical items, overturning furniture, ripping the tatami mat flooring with her bare fingers.

"Temper, temper," a woman's voice chided, echoing off of the white walls. Kayura's nostrils flared in anger. "Although, when faced with rejection, I suppose most women react this way."

"Who's there? Tell me!" Kayura demanded, looking around the dark room. The silhouette of a woman in a full kimono showed against the shoji screen door. The woman stepped forward. Her hair was red, and she wore a deep black and crimson kimono. "Lady Scarlet?" Kayura asked. "What do you want!"

"Just to let you know what I've _seen_," Lady Scarlet replied. Her face was round, with a flat nose, and a wide mouth with full lips. It was well known throughout the Dynasty that Lady Scarlet was psychic. However, her sadistic nature kept many from seeking her guidance.

"And what have you _seen_?" Kayura asked.

"That Rowen of the Strata will never love you," Scarlet responded, her voice dripping with false compassion. She waited for her words to sink in, studying Kayura's face.

"You… you said Rowen wouldn't love me… how… why…" Kayura said, her voice shaking.

"Oh my dear sweet Kayura, you're so blind to the shadows of the past, and the future. There is a woman that Rowen will come to love very much, one he has loved ages before – in another life, and she's not you…" Lady Scarlet smiled evilly.

"Who is she? Tell me!" Kayura demanded, standing and staring up at Lady Scarlet's dark eyes.

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked. Kayura nodded. "Very well then." Scarlet leaned forward and whispered into Kayura's ear.

"No!" Kayura protested. "That isn't possible! No, you're lying!" Kayura backed away from her, her hands out in a defensive stance.

"I am not lying, and you know it. The question is, what will you do about it?" Scarlet paused, studying Kayura's thoughtful expression. "Aha! I know what's going on in that disturbing little mind of yours! You mean to kill the girl, before Rowen can meet her, so he'll never fall in love with her!" Scarlet laughed. "Women, they're all the same aren't they? But Kayura, as the new "Ancient One", you cannot kill. The only thing your power could do is push those two together. But if I know you, you'll do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to make Rowen love you, won't you?"

"Yes, yes I will," Kayura replied. Her eyes were filled with a strange light.

Lady Scarlet smiled. "Good, make him yours," she said. Then she disappeared.

"I will destroy _her_, and make Rowen love _me_," Kayura said.

That night, Rowen invited Sage to his apartment. Sage appeared at the door precisely on time, he seemed apprehensive. Sage was wondering if Rowen wanted to talk about the secret Kayura mentioned, or Kayura herself, and the scene at the café. Rowen was wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans when Sage entered the apartment. Sage pulled his shoes off and followed Rowen into the kitchen. Rowen gestured for Sage to sit down at the table, and then sat down himself.

"Is this about Kayura…" Sage began.

"No, this has nothing to do with her, I don't even want to think about her." He paused, and then picked up an already-opened envelope from the Hachime Prep School, and handed it to Sage. "I think you deserve to know," he said.

Sage took the envelope, looking at Rowen inquisitively. At a nod from Rowen he pulled out a letter on expensive paper and began to read. "Wow," he said when he finished. "Wow, that's great!" However, there was a tone of sadness in Sage's voice. "Are you… are you going to go?" he asked quietly.

"You know, a few months ago I would have been ecstatic to receive this letter," Rowen said. "I was actually planning on taking their entrance exam, but something stopped me… I had this feeling that I shouldn't leave Toyama… Of course now we know why, I needed to be here for the battle. But then… I got a letter from them a while before Talpa. They had seen some of my test scores and wanted me to take their cram school course to see if I could be accepted into their school. At that time I wanted nothing more than to leave Toyama, and going to a Tokyo prep school would be a perfect out. So I enrolled. I just finished it last week, before that dinner with Kayura at Mia's house."

"So then… every time you've told us that you were at science expos or whatever, you were lying?" Sage asked, hurt.

Rowen nodded. "I just didn't want you guys to know, I wasn't sure how you'd react, but there's no ignoring it now."

"What are you going to do?" Sage asked.

"Are you mad?" Rowen countered.

"What?"

"Are you mad that I didn't talk to you about this? Before I mean…"

"Well we didn't even know each other well when you started taking the class, and then I can see why you wouldn't tell everyone, but I do wish that you had told me. It hurts, that you thought you couldn't trust me with this," Sage responded honestly.

"That's not why, it doesn't have anything to do with trust. I just wasn't sure what I was going to do, and I didn't want anyone to know until I'd made my decision. It's weird; I never thought this was going to be such a hard decision. I never had anything keeping me here, no friends, no one who meant a lot to me, my parents drift in and out of my life, and everyone else is just an acquaintance. I never thought I would have so many people in my life who are so important to me, you guys – you, Sai, Ryo, Kento, Mia – you all mean so much to me. I don't think I could bear to leave here just because of everyone. So I made my decision, I'm turning down this prep school, and staying in Toyama."

Sage smiled with relief. "I'm so glad…" he said. "When you showed me the envelope… I was scared… that you were going to leave… I've never had a friend like you before Rowen… I don't want to lose you…" There was a strange tone to Sage's voice, and a faraway look in his eyes, which inspired Rowen's next question.

"Sage, is something going on, is something about to happen?" Rowen asked, frightened by Sage's tone.

"I think so, I can feel it, evil is growing…" Rowen's eyes opened wide. "I don't want anything to happen to you Rowen, I want to protect you… I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you…"

"Me too…" Rowen breathed, picturing Kayura's evil energy, and her anger. He shook the image out of his mind. Then he glanced at the letter in Sage's hand. He took it, and in three quick motions ripped it into pieces. Then he scattered the pieces on the floor. "I'm not leaving," he said with a smile. Sage smiled back.

* * *

Aw, isn't that scene with Sage and Rowen touching? Now, don't any of you get any strange ideas, they're just good friends...

Hmmm I wonder who Rowen's future love is? Oh wait, I already know...

I hope you all enjoyed it! Come back next time to find out what Kayura does!


	10. Rise of Darkness

Wow, this week has been really tough. I'm glad that I had pre-written this chapter a while ago. (I thought it accelerated the story too fast, so I wrote some more chapters in between). Well, without further ado, please enjoy "The Consequences of Fallibility" part ten.

Disclaimer: I own Kubi, Sarah, Katie, and any other person you do not recognize. Other than that, not mine, but you probably already knew that...

Oh, and my new section break is "O-", because for some reason it keeps erasing my "----" weird...

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Part X: Rise of Darkness

Kayura lay on the tatami mat floor of her room. She had not been able to sleep, she just kept thinking about Rowen, and the possibility of him loving someone who was not her. Lady Scarlet's words spun through her mind. "Oh what should I do?" she whispered. "I vowed to kill Rowen's future love, but to kill someone I have to forsake my role as the last remaining member of the Ancient's Clan, and take up evil again. What would Rowen think? He would understand, right? Of course he would. He would know that I did it for him. He would love me because I gave up so much, sacrificed so much for him. I have to… That way he'll never love her, so he'll love me… I have to do this for him, for the man I love, because I know I'm the only one who can ever make him happy, just me." She sat up abruptly. "I know what I have to do."

O-

The following night the five Ronin and Mia went to a Korean barbeque restaurant to celebrate Rowen's acceptance and decline of the Hachime Prep School. They sat at the table together, feasting on the meats the waitress brought them. No one had mentioned Kayura again, and Rowen certainly did not bring it up. The event was overall lighthearted.

"I'm glad you decided to stay here," Kento said as they ate through their meal.

"Really?" Rowen asked sarcastically, holding up the metal Korean chopsticks.

"Well without you, there would be no one to make fun of!" Kento laughed.

"Could say the same about you Kento," Rowen responded with a grin.

Sage lifted his cup of tea and everyone turned to him. "Here's to the Ronin Warriors, staying together no matter what!" Sage said. Everyone clicked glasses and drank.

O-

"KALE!" Kayura shouted. He appeared in her doorway.

"Yes?"

"I need to get to the armory room, now!" she shouted. Kale looked at her strangely.

"The armory? Why?" he asked.

"I have to, alright?" she responded. "And I cannot get in by myself, so I need you to come with me."

The armory was deep within the castle, in the lower sections. A maze littered with traps led to its entrance, so most warriors went there in groups if they were unsure of the various hazards. This was why Kayura asked Kale to accompany her.

Once they had made their way to the door, which was constructed of stone and chained shut, Kayura held her staff forward. Light emitted from the staff, and its power shattered the chain and threw the doors open. Kayura walked in determinedly. She passed rows of swords, spears, shields, knives, arrows and bows. She stopped at the far wall, which held an assortment of weapons protected by chains. Kayura touched a symbol in the middle – it was a star covered by a bolt of lightning. At her touch the chains moved away and revealed a pair of swords. Kayura's eyes glittered with desire.

"Kayura! What are you doing!" Kale demanded, rushing towards her. But he was too late. Kayura grasped the two swords, allowing the staff to fall to the cold hard floor. The blades extended and glowed purple. Kayura leaned her head back, allowing the dark power to rush through her. Purple lightning flew out of the swords and hit Kayura; she absorbed it in reverence. Then her kimono disappeared in a glitter of purple, and she was left standing in the armor of Lady Kayura. Her eyes flashed violet and she lowered the swords. On the ground, the Staff of the Ancient One faded away.

"Lady Kayura is back!" she exclaimed. She saw her amulet (long since repaired, though no longer infused with mind-controlling power) hanging on the wall, and lovingly placed it around her neck. She powered up her swords again, infusing the room with a violet glow. "This is all for you! My love! My dear ROWEN HASHIBA OF STRATA!" she shouted as the power consumed her. Kale's eyes opened wide as he observed her.

She turned and raced out of the armory, knocking Kale out of her way. "I'm going to kill her, I'll kill her for you Rowen!" she chanted as she ran.

As she left, Kale stood up, shaking with anger. "No Kayura… you can't be in love with him… you can't… look what this has done to you… no…"

O-

That night, Sage had invited Rowen to stay at his house. They rolled another futon on Sage's floor next to his for Rowen. Both Ronin had been sleeping soundly, until a voice wakened Rowen.

'_This is all for you! My love! My dear ROWEN HASHIBA OF STRATA!' 'I'm going to kill her, I'll kill her for you Rowen!' _Rowen sat up abruptly. He listened closely but the voice was gone. He was about to lie back down when more sounds assaulted him. He heard a girl's voice scream in surprise and metal clanking against metal. Something hard rolled across a wood floor. Then he heard the sounds of a scuffle, two different female voices distantly screaming at each other. One girl shouted in pain, while the other cackled. He heard a body hit the floor, and then two steps backward. _'Feel the scream of my starlight swords! Star Sword Scream!' _More shouting.

Then he heard a voice pleading, and demanding to know why she was about to be killed. _'Why are you doing this? Why!'_

'_You'll never find out!'_ He could hear the swords slice through the air, and the sound of splattering blood; a body fell against the ground.

Rowen was panting, and clutching his head. "What's going on?" he whispered. "That was Kayura… she just… she just killed someone? Why… what…"

"Rowen?" Sage's tired voice inquired. "Are you alright?" Sage looked over at him, but in the dark he could not see the sweat that covered Rowen's terrified face, or the tears that had slipped from his eyes.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine…" Rowen whispered. He laid facing away from Sage, shaking he recalled what he had just heard. "I guess I was right about her all along…" he said so that only he could hear.

O-

A man sat cross-legged within an ancient shrine. He was meditating, and what he saw within his mind disturbed him. "Oh Kayura…" the man said, shaking his head, and causing his red hair to sway on his shoulders. A bright light shone in the corner of the shrine. The man turned his head. The man was Anubis. He had been near death in the Dynasty, the fight with Kayura, and transference of his armor had drained him. However, after the Ronin defeated Talpa, the Jewel of Life enacted its other power; the one it was named for. The Jewel appeared next to Anubis, who lay face-down in the water, and restored his life energy, saved him. Ever since then, Anubis spent his time in an abandoned shrine deep in the mountains of Honshu. He meditated on the Mortal Realm, and the Dynasty, and had seen disturbing things from Kayura along the way. (She of course had no idea that he had been watching her.)

Now his attention was transfixed in the corner where a gold light had suddenly began to shine. The light faded, and revealed an item. The Ancient's Staff was leaning against the corner. "So, the staff has returned to me has it? I fear the Ronin Warriors and this realm are in grave danger.

* * *

Phew! So,what did Kayura do? And, more importantly, what is she **going** to do? And Anubis is ALIVE! 

Don't you worry, there's more to come!


	11. The End of An Ancient

Well, here I am with another update. I've been working on revamping "Changing Series: A New Foe," while wishing I had given it a catchier title, so that it will be ready when I wrap up "The Consequences of Fallibility." Anyway, here's part eleven, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:Katie, Sarah, Kubi, Daku, and the events in this story are mine, everything else belongs to someone else...

* * *

Part XI: The End of an Ancient

Kayura was wreaking havoc in the Dynasty. The power she gained had warped her mind, confused her. She stood on the top of a hill, staring at the expanse of buildings that led to the newly rebuilt palace. "I must take control of this realm! Then… then I can go to the Mortal Realm… I can prove myself to the Ronin… I can prove myself to Rowen! And if they won't listen… I'll… I'll conquer their realm, I'll force them to obey me, and I'll force him to love me! Yes! That's what I'll do! Yes! But Rowen… he wouldn't want to live here… I know! I'll destroy the mortal world so he can't go back there, then I'll destroy this world as well. Then the two of us can find a new realm, together," she spoke to herself rapidly as she began racing around the Dynasty, searching. "KUBI! KUBI WHERE ARE YOU! IT'S TIME TO SETTLE THE SCORE! COME OUT YOU COWARD!"

"You'll not be seeing Emperor Kubi," a cold voice said. Kayura turned to the owner of the voice.

"Ah Katie, what do you want?" Kayura asked. Katie's face was set in a cold hard stare. Kayura and her were on equal ground, the two blue-eyed Dynasty fighters staring each other down.

"To do this!" Katie shouted. In one smooth motion she punched Kayura. Then Katie held up her twin swords. "FIERY SCREAM OF DEATH!" she shouted. The attack took Kayura by surprise. She was blindsided by it, and lay on the ground panting. The power she absorbed had begun to wear away. Katie bent down next to her and observed her. The white armor on Kayura's arms was stained red with blood.

"That blood is not yours, you're obviously not protecting this realm from evil anymore, you **are** evil," Katie said. "And Kubi has no place for psychotic trouble-makers in his Dynasty." Then she stood up. She turned behind her to a group of soldiers. "Take her to the circle," she ordered. Then she disappeared.

O-

The soldiers dragged Kayura into the castle and down to the armory. There, a soldier named Daku proceeded to beat her. Once she could no longer defend herself, he threw her into a pool of dark liquid in the corner of the room. Kayura, though submerged, proceeded to scream. Her demon armor was ripped off of her body, and the two Starlight Swords flew from her hands and were secured to the wall. In an effort to protect herself, Kayura summoned Anubis' armor. However, the weapon did not appear. Daku dragged her out of the liquid. Two soldiers pulled her through the castle.

Followed by Daku, the two soldiers led Kayura outside, and up to a circle drawn on the ground. Empress Katie appeared on the opposite side of the circle.

"Lady Kayura, you wish to destroy the Mortal World, correct?" Katie asked.

"And then destroy this world!" Kayura yelled, a crazed look in her eyes. "And no one can stop me!"

"You have betrayed the Dynasty, and you shall be punished. You've been nothing but trouble since Anubis broke your bind to us," Katie said seriously, an uncharacteristic hatred in her eyes.

"And you've been nothing but a thorn in MY side!" Kayura screamed. She lunged at Katie, and Katie tossed her knee into Kayura's stomach. Kayura fell to the ground, but grabbed Katie's ankle in an attempt to trip her. Katie stepped on her wrist. Kayura's grip loosened. Katie jumped into the air and pulled out one of her swords. She rushed back and stabbed Kayura in the stomach. Kayura's eyes widened and blood trickled out of her mouth. The wind blew between them, and Katie backed away with her sword.

Kayura rolled painfully onto her stomach. "You cannot destroy me, I am the all powerful Kayura. I cannot lose," she said in a scratchy voice. Then she rolled her head to the side and whispered, "I've done all of this for him… I love him…"

"Daku, finish her," Katie ordered the soldier, looking at Kayura with disgust. Then she turned and walked away. Behind her she could hear the soldier raise his weapon and bring it down. Katie turned back around and watched as a few locks of Kayura's blue hair fell into a puddle of blood, her body obscured by Daku.

* * *

:Dodges flying vegetables, spears, etc.: It's not over yet! And Kayura-lovers, do not stop reading, I promise there's something inan upcoming chapter that you will enjoy!


	12. Left Unsaid

**Meira Evenstar: **Thank you for always reviewing after each chapter! It's great to know that someone appreciated this story!

**Nothing Much: **I know that you like Kayura, so I hope you didn't stop reading it after the last chapter. Please continue to the end, you'll be glad you did!

Now, without further ado, the final chapter to "The Consequences of Fallibility".

* * *

Part XII: Left Unsaid

Emperor Kubi stepped into the throne room of the Dynasty castle. A fire formed before him. He paused before the throne, inhaling the air around him, and taking everything in. Then he sat down in the oversized throne, immensely pleased. "Enter my warriors!" he called. A group of upper level Warlords entered the throne room. Katie and Sarah stood on either side of the throne, facing their subordinates.

"This is a momentous day. The day that I, Kubi have taken the throne that once belonged to Talpa. I am now supreme ruler of the Demon Realm." The warriors cheered. "As such, I must decide what my first course of action shall be. I believe that there are five warriors who need to be taught a lesson." Kubi grinned, an evil smirk that every warlord shared with him. "The Dynasty must regain its reputation throughout the realms as being the most powerful. Five little boys tarnished our reputation under Talpa. Those five boys, known as the Ronin Warriors: Ryo of Wildfire, Sage of Halo, Sai of Torrent, Kento of Hardrock, and Rowen of Strata must be destroyed once and for all." The warriors screeched in approval. Kubi smiled, genuinely pleased. "The Dynasty will once again reign supreme!"

‮O

Sarah walked through the Dynasty realm, and sat down by a pond filled with gold water. She was shaking. "What's wrong with me? Kubi's the emperor, this is a good thing. And I'm going to get to show my dominance by destroying the Ronin, what is wrong with me?" she whispered to herself. She shook the feeling aside.

"Sarah…" a man's voice called her name. She turned and found herself staring at Kale, Dais, and Seckhmet, all in their undergear. She leapt to her feet and brandished her staff. "What do you want?" she asked.

"To re-join the Dynasty," Kale said.

"What?" Sarah asked, her stance not faltering.

"Now that Kayura is gone and Kubi is the dominant power, we wish to swear our allegiance to him," Kale answered.

"Wow, you boys sure are loyal aren't you?" Sarah laughed, easing her stance just a little. "But you've been friends with Kayura, and allied yourselves with the Ronin against Talpa."

"That was only to defeat Talpa, who betrayed us, we were never really allies of the Ronin. We only wish to destroy them," Kale responded, his anger and hatred evident in his eyes.

"Very well, I'm all for second chances," she said, lowering her staff. "I'll take you up to Emperor Kubi, there you can swear your allegiance, and then re-join the Warlords."

"Thank you," the three responded.

O

Rowen decided to not tell the other Ronin what he had experienced in the night. They would all assume he had been dreaming, no one would take him seriously. However, he did try to give Kayura a chance to explain. Alone in his apartment; Rowen called her name. He called for her again and again but she did not appear. That was when he knew he was right. "Kayura really has broken herself off from us. I was right, I can't believe I was right…" He sat down, thinking over everything that had happened. He once again decided to keep this news to himself, until the timing was right.

‮O

The other Ronin Warriors, with the exception of Ryo, met to discuss the issue with Kayura again. "So, he didn't say anything to you about what happened at that café?" Sai asked Sage.

"No, he said he didn't want to talk about it, and left it at that," Sage responded earnestly.

"Dude though, she was so angry when he ran out on her. What if she tries something?" Kento asked, worried.

"Rowen can take care of himself," Sai responded. "And if it gets that bad, he'll call us. Besides, people in love with someone very rarely try to kill that person," he added. The others nodded, they would just wait it out.

‮O

Much later, Warlady Sarah, and Empress Katie approached Kubi's throne. He stared down at them excitedly. "The entire Nether Realm is buzzing with the news of your authority in the Dynasty. Everyone wishes to know when you plan to attack the Ronin and reinstate the Dynasty's powerful reputation," Sarah said.

"Ah yes, the Ronin… I think I'll wait a while, give them some time to relax, to let their guard down. When they least expect it I will strike. And they will not escape this time," Kubi responded, a sadistic glow in his demonic eyes. Before him, Warlady Sarah and Empress Katie respectfully bowed.

‮O

Rowen meant to tell the Ronin about Kayura, and his speculations on what happened to her, but he never did. First, with his decision to stay in Toyama, he settled into a routine of studying in anticipation of the return of school, spending time with his friends, and healing the wounds of fighting. Though they knew they should, the Ronin spend relatively little time discussing the Dynasty, their pain, their fears. Then, August came, carrying Ryo's birthday. And with it terrorizing events; first the disappearance of Sage, which created the necessity to take a trip to New York, which led into the battles with the Armor of Halo, and the altercation between Rowen and Luna, making Luna a new ally to the Ronin. Then the battle with Shikaisen created its own problems, as Sage's mental torture left him weak, and the death of Luna left Ryo emotionally scarred.

With everything that happened, Kayura slipped from Rowen's mind, and things that should have been said were left unsaid.

‮O

However, as September arrived, there was someone who had not forgotten. In the furthest reaches of the Dynasty existed a field of wisteria. And within that field, a young woman with blue hair giggled, while staring into the Mortal World.

The End

…or is it really just the beginning?

* * *

Can you all guess who that young woman in the field of wisteria is? I bet you can. Anyway, this story may have ended, but it is not over. Join me now, in "Changing Series: A New Foe" to see what happens when Kubi launches his attack, and also, how the Ronin deal with school after everything that happened. 

Thank you for reading this story, I loved the feedback I received!

Thank you,

Sarah Shima


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